Improvement in buoy-lights



LEVA STEVENS Buo'y Light. i

. Patented Mardh 26` AM. Maron/Thomann: ca. Nx/ osso/mn'- marnsf/ PATENTOFFICE LEVI STEVENS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

` IMPROVEMENT IN BUOY-LIGHTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,096, dated March26, 1872.

SPECIFICATION. To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LEvr STEVENS, `of the city of Vashington, in theDistrict of Columbia, have invented certain Improvements in Buoy-Lights,of which the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompa` nying drawing:

y away, showing :its interior 5 and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal verticalsection of the burner and a portion of the device for retorting andsupplying the gas or vapor to the burner.

The want of some reliable device by which the location of buoys might beindicated or lnade known in dark nights or in foggy, cloudy,

or stormy weather, -has long been felt. To meet this want is the objectof this invention.

A tank, A, made out of any suitable material, and of any size or formdesired, is used ,for the buoy, and also for holding the material forsupplying the burner with its gas or vapor.

` Into the upper end of this tank is inserted a pipe or tube, B, so thatits lower end will extend nearly to the bottom of the same. At its upperend is attached, so as to communicate with it, a hollow elliptiealshapedring, I). From each end of this ring extend downward hollow arms O,which enterand are connected to a body, E. The pipe B, ring D, and armsO are all hollow, and are iilled with fine copper wire, arrangedcompactly therein. The lower ends of the arms O enter a chamber, a,within the body-E. Above this chamber is another chamber, b, butseparated from it by a partition, c. In the partition c is a smallopening, which may be partially or entirely closed by means ot' aneedle-valve, F, the stem ot' which screws into the body E, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2, so as to be operated by thumb-piece G, as shown in Fig.l. Over the chamber bis placed the burner H, the upper end of which ismade dat and Haring, and so as to throw the flame within and against thering D. The pipe B is furnished with a stop-cock, I.

In operatin g this device the tank is rst supplied with petroleum, thenwith bicarbonate of soda, and afterward with some sulpliuric acid. Theaction of the acid upon the soda produces carbonio-acid gas, which inturn presses upon the petroleum and forces it up through the pipe B. Thecock I is now opened and heat is applied to the pipe, ring D, and armsO, which is communicated to the copper wire within them. The wire thusheated retorts or converts the oil into a vapor, which passes into thebody E, thence through the opening in the partition c into the chamberb, and thence through a small opening in the upper side of this chamberto the burner. The object ot' the chamber b is to have the vaporsupplied to the burner in a steady continuous stream, which would not bethe ease if it came directly from the needle-valve opening in thepartition O. As the vapor comes from the burner it is lighted, and theheat produced by its combustion keeps t-he copper wire hot, and theprocess of retortin g the oil and supplying the vapor contin nous.

In each side of the burner are the usual openings for supplying air oroxygen to the flame.

In this way, it will be seen, not only is a buoy provided, but also onethat, by means ot' the material within it and the vapor-burner attachedto it, is supplied with` a steady and brilliant light whenever desired-alight that, with the ordinary protection, will continue to burn in theroughest weather, and thus fur nish the object so much desired bynavigators, an illuminated buoy.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- A buoy-light,consisting of a petroleum-va por burner in combination with a hollowbuoy, the former being supplied with petroleum or oil under pressurefrom the latter, in the manner substantially as herein described.

LEVI STEVENS.

Witnesses H. B. MUNN, J. MGKENNEY.

